Myanmar Junta Seeks Economic Lifeline with Eurasian Bloc Bid

[geovalin]

CISCDN

 

Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has publicly pleaded for observer status in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), calling it a key step toward sidestepping crippling Western sanctions.

 

Speaking at the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk on Thursday, Min Aung Hlaing urged EAEU leaders to accept Myanmar “at the earliest opportunity,” portraying the bloc as a vital partner in resisting what he called economic “bullying” by powerful nations using the U.S. dollar.

 

“We want to become part of the EAEU family,” he said, hailing the bloc’s ability to weather sanctions and economic pressures. Junta-controlled media later reported that he secured verbal support from the bloc’s commission chair, Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

 

Myanmar has signed previous cooperation agreements with the EAEU and its executive body, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), but details remain vague. Talks reportedly touched on agriculture, mining, energy, and education, with the junta hoping to deepen trade and attract investment.

 

Min Aung Hlaing’s appearance in Minsk marks his first at the annual forum. It comes amid mounting economic isolation following the 2021 coup, with sanctions from the U.S., EU, and international bodies such as the ILO intensifying. The regime has since struggled with a currency crisis and falling reserves, pushing for trade in Russian rubles, Chinese yuan, and Thai baht to reduce dependence on the dollar.

 

At the forum, the general struck a defiant tone, blasting sanctions as violations of “the fundamental principles of international relations.”

 

The EAEU—led by Moscow and comprising Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—has drawn criticism as a political tool of the Kremlin rather than a successful economic bloc. Still, for Myanmar’s regime, even symbolic ties offer a way to legitimise its rule and attract alternative trade channels.

 

Min Aung Hlaing has also expressed interest in observer status within BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, both dominated by Russia, China, and India—signalling a clear pivot toward authoritarian-friendly alliances.

 

As Myanmar’s domestic crisis deepens and international isolation tightens, the junta’s economic diplomacy appears increasingly desperate—but also calculated. Whether the EAEU accepts its overtures remains to be seen, but the message from Minsk was unmistakable: Myanmar is doubling down on Eastern alliances to survive.

 

-2025-06-28